Gender

A World History

By: Susan Kingsley Kent

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

Gender exists in almost every society as a way of organizing its people. Gender is used to assign certain responsibilities, obligations, and privileges to some, and to deny them to others. In Gender: A World History, Susan Kingsley Kent tells the story of this seemingly simple but in fact quite complex concept. With historical perspective, she critically examines our everyday understandings of women and men, masculinity and femininity, and sexual difference in general. Central to this account is the conviction that gender is neither natural nor innocent. What passes for masculinity and femininity in one society might not do so in another. Even the passing of time can change what gender looks like in a particular culture. Thinking about the history of gender can also shed light on other types of relations, such as those between a government and its people, between different social classes, and between a colony and its colonizer.

Ranging from prehistory to the present, this book presents a chronological picture of gender across the globe. From Hatshepsut and the rise of patriarchy in the ancient world, to the Bushido code of the samurai in wartime, to Susan B. Anthony and the women's rights movement in the United States, to the gay and trans rights movements of today, the force of gender in world history cannot be denied.

©2021 Oxford University Press (P)2021 Tantor

An Outstanding Introduction to Gender History

My only criticism is actually a compliment. I wanted more. I found the organization, the choices, the writing, and the insights to be so clear and compelling that I would have loved a 14-hour or 21-hour book rather than a 7-hour book. For some reason (something about the title or description?), I was expecting something more comprehensive. In fact, the book has a terrific pace and wisely samples time period and culture across its seven hours. Each brief section was so well written that I often thought, "gee, I'd like to read an entire book by this author about gender in that time and place."

Amazing and important

I really believe that learning how gender informs and has informed so much of how humans operate in the world can only help our recreation of what it means to be gendered or not gendered. Easy to follow. Well narrated. 5 stars

An interesting intro

The listening experience is great! The book is also highly listenable and inviting. At the same time, it feels that because the book is writen chronologically, many issues, topics, theories are left underappreciated. At time it listens like the short biographies of a dozen exceptional women, rather than the everyday commoners the introduction claimed to be. For example, the listener is left wondering the basic differences between sex and gender.